Deanne Tilton Durfee, ICAN Executive Director, NCFR Chair
Executive Director, Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect (ICAN). Ms. Tilton Durfee has been a leader in the field of child welfare and child fatality review for more than twenty years. Under her leadership, ICAN coordinates services among public and private agencies for the identification, treatment and prevention of child abuse in Los Angeles County . She is the past Chairperson of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Edie Shulman, Assistant Director
Program Manager for ICAN's Child Death Review, Commercial Sexual Exploitation Taskforce and the Inter-Agency Family & Children's Index Taskforce.

Sandy DeVos, Program Administrator
Sandy DeVos has been with ICAN since 2008.  She has primary responsibility for the Child Death Review Team annual report, the coordination of the State of Child Abuse in Los Angeles County annual report, and the Infants at Risk committee.  Ms. DeVos also provides staff support to the Pregnant and Parenting Teen Task Force, the Child and Adolescent Suicide Review Team, and the Safe Sleeping Task Force.  She has been with the Department of Children and Family Services since 1979 and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. 

Lidia Escobar, ICAN and NCFR Program Administrator
Lidia Manetta Escobar, LCSW, has a Master's in Social Work from the University of Southern California; and Bachelors Degrees  in Psychology and in Criminology from University of California, Irvine. She has been with LA County since 2000 where she has worked as a Social Worker, Dependency Investigator, Supervisor and Trainer.

Cathy Walsh, Program Administrator
Cathy Walsh has been with ICAN since 2002.  She has primary responsibility for the Safely Surrendered Baby Law Program, the Nexus Training Conference, the Child Abduction Task Force, and the Cyber Crime Prevention Committee.  Ms. Walsh also contributes to the Multi-Agency Child Death Review Team report and provides staff support to the ICAN Commercial Sexual Exploitation Victim Services Committee.

Eakita West, Administrative Assistant
Eakita West, is the Administrative Assistant to the ICAN Executive Director. Additionally she is the central source of information for staff regarding process, procedure, and protocols for office management. Eakita received her Master's in Social Science and Bachelors in Human Services from Springfield College, Springfield Massachusetts. Eakita began her service with Los Angeles County in 2001. Various
assignments throughout her tenure include Eligibility Worker II, DPSS; Secretary V, Los Angeles County District Attorney; Staff Assistant II Training and Event Coordinator, Los Angeles County District Attorney.

Sabina Alvarez, Secretary IV
Ms. Alvarez has worked with the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect (ICAN) for over 25 years as a Senior Secretary IV.  She is the primary Secretary for the ICAN Executive Director.  She is also the point person for staff and for information on every project.  In addition, she provides secretarial support to ICAN Associates which is the non-profit organization that supports ICAN and the ICAN Program Administrators.

Lorraine Abasta, Secretary IV
Ms. Abasta has worked a number of clerical positions for over thirty years at MacLaren Children’s Center in El Monte. Since 2002 she has worked for the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect (ICAN) as a Senior Secretary IV for the ICAN Executive Director. In addition, she provides secretarial support to ICAN Associates which is the non-profit organization that supports ICAN and the ICAN Program Administrator’s.

Associates Staff

Michael Durfee, M.D., NCFR Chief Consultant
Dr. Durfee, a child psychiatrist, began multi-agency child fatality review in 1975 and initiated the first team in Los Angeles County in 1978. He has published in the medical literature on child death, child sexual abuse, and grief and mourning in child in survivors of fatal/severe family violence .

Paul Click, Training Coordinator
Mr. Click was with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 25 years, including 12 years as a supervisor of child abuse criminal investigations. He specializes in networking and database design, and has built several databases for the LA County Sheriff 's Department and other agencies.

Laurence Kerr, Graphic Designer and Technical Coordinator
Mr. Kerr is a graduate of ITT Technical Institute, West Covina in the field of multimedia. He is the lead designer for ICAN/NCFR publications and the coordinator for technical assistance, and web maintenance and design.

Kenneth Rios
Mr. Rios is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in the field of history with emphasis in specific topics related to the California Subject Examination for Teachers in Social Sciences. He is responsible for coordinating and tracking all NCFR Projects, including conferences, and managing the NCFR Library."

Diana Godinez
Ms. Godinez graduated from the University of California, Davis in with a Bachelors degree in Psychology.  As a Programm Assistant, She mainly provides administrative support for the Nexus and Grief Conference while coordinating speakers and volunteers. 

Jessica Spearman
A native of Los Angeles, Ms. Spearman earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge. As Project Manager of the Los Angeles County Infant Safe Sleeping Campaign, she is pleased to bring her experience in business management and community outreach to ICAN Associates.

Connie Sanchez
Ms. Sanchez graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Labor and Workplace Studies. She is excited to bring her bilingual Spanish skills and background in community organizing to the LA County Infant Safe Sleeping Campaign as a Project Assistant. 

Michael Pines, Consultant
Dr. Pines an adjunct professor in clinical psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology,
and he delivers crisis intervention throughout the country and consults with parents of high-risk adolescents in his private practice in Northridge, California. He is the Founder and Co-chair of the Los Angeles County Child & Adolescent Suicide Review Team.